The British RailClass 08 is a class of diesel locomotive designed for shunting. It was the standard BRdiesel-electricshunter. It was based on the LMS 12033 series (later TOPSClass 11). Production started in 1953 and when it finished in 1962, the class had become the most numerous of all British classes, numbering 996 in total. There were also 26 of the near-identical but higher geared Class 09, and 171 similar locomotives fitted with different engines and transmissions (some of which became Class 10), which together brought the total number of outwardly-similar machines to 1193.

Since their introduction, rail freight has primarily moved to fixed-rate bulk freight traffic and intermodal freight operations which reduce or remove the need for shunting, therefore only a few class 08 locomotives remain in service today.